This invention relates to testing equipment for gases and more particularly equipment for testing for the presence of carbon monoxide in compressed air used by underwater divers.
The presence of carbon monoxide in compressed air used in association with underwater breathing apparatus can be extremely poisonous and fatal. Divers typically use extreme precaution with respect to the safety aspects of scuba diving equipment, but unfortunately there is no known economical means of testing for the presence of carbon monoxide in the breathing apparatus.
It is an objection of the invention to provide an economical testing apparatus for testing for the presence of carbon monoxide or other contaminants in compressed air tanks used by scuba divers.
It is a further object of the invention to provide testing apparatus for compressed air used in association with underwater breathing apparatus, which is easily operated and produces rapid results.
Another object of the invention is to provide testing apparatus which is easily portable and can be used without the need for additional tools to install it in the compressed air system to be tested.
The object of the invention is attained by an apparatus having a hand-held head member detachably connected to a tubular member extending therefrom so that the head member forms a continuous bore closed at one end by an elastomeric bag or balloon and at the other end by a check valve. The bore holds a disposable test strip which responds to constituents in air to change color and which can be viewed through transparent portions of the tubular member. The apparatus is held against the outlet of a source of air to be tested to inflate the balloon and to maintain the test strip in an atmosphere of compressive air from the source to be tested after the apparatus is separated from the source.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and from the drawings.